We and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our site to personalize content and ads, provide social media features, and analyze our traffic. You can read more about it and change your preferences here.

53 Of The Most Powerful Images Of Women Protesters Of All Time

Women have had hundreds upon hundreds of reasons to carry protest posters since the dawn of time, whether it was for voting rights, reproductive rights, or most recently, against sexual predators holding powerful positions. What started with the first well-organized, not so peaceful protest for suffrage in as early as 1913, is now often supported by men also, who understand that feminism and related social issues are not some evil entity, but rather thinking of women as equals. Sadly enough, ladies still have to prove their worthiness to some.

To celebrate the strength and bravery of all the women and girls who have taken to the streets, stood up for their beliefs and gender equality, and stared down anyone who tried to get in their way, we've compiled the best photos of female social activists and protesters from around the world, and they're sure to speak to your renegade soul. They might even inspire you to get a protest sign in your own hands the next time you have a chance. Be sure to vote for the most powerful ones, and let us know if you've ever committed an act of defiance for a good cause in the comments.

Marilyn Webb Holds Up A Sign As She Protests For Women's Rights In Front Of The Federal Trade Commission Headquarters While Policemen Look On During Richard Nixon's Inauguration Weekend, Washington, Dc, 18-21 January 1969

Young Girl With Roller Skates Shows A Soldier In Derry She Isn’t Scared, Northern Ireland, 1969

Protester Ieshia Evans Is Detained By Law Enforcement Near The Headquarters Of The Baton Rouge Police Department In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, During A Demonstration Against The Shooting Death Of Alton Sterling, 9 July 2016

Polish Women Take Part In A Breastfeeding Is Not Obscene Protest In Warsaw’s Subway. In Reaction To A Ban Imposed By City Officials On An Art Project, Portraying Breastfeeding Mothers, 15 June 2011

This is the most natural thing there is. If you don't like it - don't look at it! I can't understand people who want to ban it. Women have been feeding their kids like that since the beginning of time. Ridiculous..

Feminist Activists Protest On The Streets During A National Demonstration Called "Ni Una Menos (Not One Woman Less)" To Demand Justice For All Women Victims Of Gender Crimes And In Repudiation To The Murder Of Florencia Aguirre, A Nine Year Old Girl Who Was Strangled, Burned And Buried By His Father In The City Of Coyhaique, Valparaiso, Chile, 19 October 19 2016

Chinese Riot Police Watch A Muslim Ethnic Uighur Woman Protest In Urumqi In China’s Far West Xinjiang Province Following A Third Day Of Unrest, 7 July 2009

this is Eastturkestan. China calls it Xinjiang. People of Eastturkestan called Uyghurs. The women protested there because chinese government just killed 10'000 of Uyghur Men. i think i read somewhere her Husband and son were killed.

An Afro-Ecuadorean Woman Argues With Police Guarding A Fence In Front Of The National Assembly In Quito. In Protest Of A Proposed Water Privatization Law That Could Impact The Country’s Indigenous Population, 5 May 2010

Police Arrest A Demonstrator Affiliated With The Occupy Wall Street Movement After She And Fellow Protesters Attempted To Cross The Brooklyn Bridge On The Motorway. The Arrested Woman Is Seen Screaming Out Her Name To Supporters On The Pedestrian Bridge Above Who Were Recording Names Of Those Arrested. This Portion Of The Bridge Is Not Intended For Pedestrians And As The Marchers Attempted To Cross, They Were Stopped Midway By Police. Hundreds Of Protesters Were Arrested, New York City, 1 October 2011

A Woman Argues With Belarus Police Officers Blocking A Street During An Opposition Rally In Minsk, Belarus As Hundreds Of People Were Arrested Over Protests Against Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, 25 March 2017

As a writer and image editor for Bored Panda, Giedrė crafts posts on many different topics to push them to their potential. She's also glad that her Bachelor’s degree in English Philology didn’t go to waste (although collecting dust in the attic could also be considered an achievement of aesthetic value!) Giedrė is an avid fan of cats, photography, and mysteries, and a keen observer of the Internet culture which is what she is most excited to write about. Since she's embarked on her journalistic endeavor, Giedrė has over 600 articles under her belt and hopes for twice as much (fingers crossed - half of them are about cats).

i thought i was the only one who reacted like that. i'm at work rn, decided to scroll thru and damn i have chills. tears welling up and all. these women, every single one of them remind me why i bother trying or believing in change

i thought i was the only one who reacted like that. i'm at work rn, decided to scroll thru and damn i have chills. tears welling up and all. these women, every single one of them remind me why i bother trying or believing in change